Chapter 36

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Note: Fist of all, I hope all of you guys alright with everything that is going on. Secondly,I apologize for the lack of updates, I have been really busy with work and well...Yeah. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this, and please stay safe.

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It felt...It felt like it had been so long since you left your home and your family.  It had been over six years, but it felt longer than that. Maybe it was because of all you've been through that it just felt that way...But it was hard now to remember their faces now. Were they alright, healthy with the help you have been trying to provide them?

The truth was, there had been times when you felt like you had forgotten them. Maybe you have, with everything happening so fast...It happened.

Once all of this was over and if you survived, you would try to help them move somewhere else where they could make a better life for themselves. You can help them but you won't be able to help them all the time, they can't depend on you. You were not immortal and one day you will die and they will have to look out for themselves.

Besides, if you did survive you could not imagine living with them again. Yes they loved you, yes you loved them but you were used to this life. They did not know what you were doing, despite being poor they would not understand your new way of life. Despite their poverty, they both grew up acotumed to a way of life and what role everyone had.

They would still think that as a woman, you should live as a woman. You were one, no doubt, but you could not imagine to live like one. To marry, be obedient with your husband and have absolutely no rights. Even as you imagined it, death would be more suitable.

Shifting to your side, you sat up and remained seated on your bed. You felt so tired, your mind too but the thoughts would not let you sleep. Rubbing your face, you changed back to your regular clothing and headed out of your room.

It was very late by now, maybe just a couple more hours until a new bright day was born. Either way, walking around the castle would definitely help you calm your thoughts.

You wanted to leave tomorrow morning but the three of you had a very long journey to finish. Whatever rest the three of you had now would not be enough. Perhaps another day would help your bodies regain more energy, because you guys definitely needed it.

Despite the lack of servants around the castle, you faced a few guards and of course, you could hear their murmurs as you walked away. It had been only a couple of minutes but you had enough, so you decided to walk back to your room.

On your way there you came face to face with King Mateus. "Can't sleep? I'm surprised considering the long journey you had."

How you wanted to ignore the question but it would be rude not to respond to him. "With the war, it is hard to sleep."

He nodded as his feet began to move and got closer to you. "Come." And he kept walking expecting you to follow him.

There was no way for you to reject it, he had given you an order. With a grown you did not hesitate to turn around and follow the man. He walked down the hall and continued to walk around his giant castle until you both reached a hall where many portraits of previous King's adorned the wall. King Mateus stared at each portrait, some would expect to see some king of emotion behind his eyes. But there was nothing, just.... Judgement.

He remained in silence and the longer it stretched, it was unbearable. "Are these your ancestors?"

"They were nothing but pests," and that proved your point that he probably loved no one but himself.  "They're not important," he turned to the side to look at you, you doing  the same. His eyes were always so judgemental, as if you were nothing but a big beneath his shoe. "You've come this far, you have great potential but in order to reach it you must let go of that which hold you back. Your family for instance," this time he looked disgusted, "they would have let you die if you had not made the  choice to leave. Even now, they're just like leaches clinging to whatever you have to offer  instead of doing something for themselves."

Despite feeling angry at his insults, maybe it was your exhaustion but a little voice agreed with him. "Please do not speak of my family like that, none of this is of your concern."

"They're the object of your thoughts, are they not?" His eyes trailed to your curled hands that began to shake with anger. "You're not ordinary, you're a woman full of potential. In order to reach your full potential, you must let go of any weakness. They have always been your weakness and they will always be as long as you continue to think of them. They serve you no purpose. They're worse than worms, at least the-"

His sentence  did not even get to be finished as your fist connected to his nose, making his head turn to the side with the impact. It was just a punch, what has you breathing hard was the anger that he caused with his words.

The next few seconds, he grabbed your hand, turned you around making your back clash with the wall. His hand let go of your hand only to be placed around your throat, he squished hard but not hard enough as to cut all of your oxygen. His body was against yours, pressing your further into the wall, his face so close to yours that you could feel his breath. " How dare you..."

Your actions were wrong but he should know better than to partake in someone else's life. Narrowing your eyes, you placed your hands on top of his larger one, the one that was squishing your throat. "No, how dare you talk about my family like that." The man was a King, but he wasn't your King. There was only someone who you served and that was King Rufus. The longer you glared at him, the more you struggled and of course, the pressure of his hold increased.

"Have you no r-" but the sentence died in his lips as you gathered all your strength and pushed him back. At first you thought that he wouldn't let go, but he did, though when you pushed him, his nails left nasty scratches on your neck.

The scratches stung, and you could feel a few drops of blood oozing from them but that pain was nothing. "You're not my King," you began trying to regain some calmness, but his voice still rang in your ears. "My respect belongs to King Rufus and those who have earned it."

There was anger written on his face but it lasted only a couple of more seconds until it just banished. "Your actions will have consequences."

With the war those consequences seemed minimal. "And I will face them." The two of you kept staring at eachother, though more than staring, you were glaring at the man. King Mateus watched as you gifted him with one last glare, turned around and stormed back to your room.

Rasing his hand, he noticed red lines under his finger nails. You didn't even flinch as his nails scratched your skin. Nothing very surprising, but from someone, for a woman...Perhaps...

King Mateus wasn't wrong when he said those words. Being the first woman to be integrated into the First Class Soldier Ranks wasn't easy. Actually, it was impossible considering all he heard  part of the history behind the creation of
that Rank. Every single woman died, even some males soldiers were not strong enough to survive.

So much potential, you had a lot to offer but your family was your weakness. They were nothing but leaches clinging to you, sucking all they could from you. They will be the end of you.

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